The Portland daily press., 1887-04-23

Some Interesting Facts About a
Great Newspaper.

Mr.. Mcdonald personally showed me
through the London Times establishment
instead Of turning mo over to the tender
mercies Of messenger, writes London cor
respondent to the New York World. do
not propose to give detailed description Of
the mechanism Of this publication Office, but
merely to note few things that especially
struck my mind. In the first place, the edi-
torial rooms would interest most American
newspaper men. Every prominent writer
on the paper had a large room to himself,
furnished in the same style Of solid comfort
and simplicity as the managers Office. In
each room sparkled an open fire, In each
there was library Of reference. In this
monkish solitude, in front Of glowing fire,
with his books and papers about him, guard
ed against any possible intrusion, II ever
writer should be inspired to do good work,
he surely would be in such surroundings.
But these writer's are not permitted to select
their own subjects. They are given their
subjects and told how TO treat them by
the manager. The rest Is mere matter OF
literary gymnastics.
In the visit to the editorial rooms we
stopped at one room on one Of the upper
floors. This was the only shabby looking
room in the whole establishment. The car
pet here was worn threadbare. The cover
break in the general character Of the insti-
tuition that i inv0luntarily turned toward
the doctor. He glanced quietly at a care
lessly dressed young man who, with silk
hat on the back of his head, was writing
away for dear life, as he said in low tone
Of voice, This Is the penny-a-liners' room.
NO one who works In this room has any reg
Times"
"In other words. the writers who come
60 all 80 -
so much line?"
PRECISELY"
"They correspond to the space writers Of
our offices. Do any Of these penny-a-liners
ever graduate from this kind Of work into
regular employment on the Times?"
The manager said with peculiar emphasis:
i might say almost neverp
In the composing room there was,the same
| silence, decorum and discipline. There were
great screens back OF the printers 20 protect
them and their manuscript copy from the
1 sight Of casual passers-by. The eases are OF
| dark wood. The floors are stone. Every
| where excessive cleanliness and order: There
| Is no lounging. The printers are obliged to
| put all their outside wraps and hats in a
| check room. Noarticle Of APPAREL Is allowed
| TO rest on any Of the cases. The sOmbre dig
nifty Of the establishment extends TO the COM
positors, who are not generally regarded In
newspapers Offices as models Of decorum.
Cabinet ministers could not be more grave
and quiet In their work than these printers.
Over each case Is a beautiful circular light
under q glass globe; il is gas produced by
the action Of hot air instead Of cold. 1t
stronger and mellower than the electric
light. Upon the right Of the composing
room are the famous type-setting machines
OF the office. They are used to set up all the
matter OF the paper except the advertise
ments, The manager says there Is no ques-
ton about the practicability Of the type
setting machines. The trouble Is wholly
outside Of the machines, In their being en-
Ployed. From this inferred that 1t is large
~ question Of overcoming the printers OBJ
1eetlons to them. The Times will not en-
ploy union printers.
The parliamentary debates are dictated
directly from the galleries Of the House Of
Parliament through long speaking tube to
one Of the type-setters. Each typesetter can
set about one column an hour.
In England there is no official report Of the
proceedings Of Parliament corresponding to
the Congressional Record Of the United
make the record, and the result Is all Of the
rubbish Is lost and only noteworthy speeches
are preserved. The Hansard reports have
been recognized as official, but as they were
made up Of compilations Of the Times's re-
ports the Times now forestalls these reports
by publishing special and earlier ones OF
their own.
The pressroom, instead Of being in the
basement, Is In side wing, a great high
room as large as many modern churches. In
II are 10 great Walter presses, the invention
and design of Mr.. Mcdonald Il was he who
also invented the Stereotyplng which made
the rapid press possible. The stereOtyping
in the Times office Is now done In exactly
five minutes.
,rhe paper In the press room comes In great
cylinders, containing each four miles OF pa
per. At the mills each cylinder is rolled to-
gether when ready in five minutes. SO rap
Id is the movement that the paper parts &C
the end Of the work with a snap that sounds
like a clap OF thunder. The Times orders on
ly two days supply Of paper ahead, and
takes from three manufacturers, so that II
has the constant advantage Of daily cOmpe-
tition.
/ had often heard that the places on the
Times staff were for q life tenure. L asked
Mr.. Mcdonald about this, saying; II have
heard that no one ever employed on the
Times is ever discharged. IL no should fail
In any way he would be still retained on
your pay rolls, although not actively en-
ployed In doing any work"
The manager replied that such stories were
apt to be greatly exaggerated. They exer-
else great care in the employment Of their
staff, and 1t had just happened that there
never had been any occasion TO discharge any
members Of their personal staff. The writ
ers on the Times are the highest paid iourn-
alists In Europe. Their special correspon-
dents In the various social capitals are given
establishments that entitle them to footing
OF equality with the diplomatic representa-
tives, In Rome the Times has only recently
hrished the building Of handsome house
for the exclusive use and comfort OF It's cor
respondent at that point.